


Foreign Exchange Club-Episode 9: A Streetcar Named Odaiba

by egyptian



Category: None - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 20:14:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19893688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/egyptian/pseuds/egyptian





	Foreign Exchange Club-Episode 9: A Streetcar Named Odaiba

[Cut to exterior of train car. We see a sign in the station that indicates that this is the Itabashi line. Various passengers are loading into the train, including Lynn and Maya. Cut to inside the train, where everyone is packed in pretty tight. Cut to the inside of the train. We see the background change a few times, indicating that time has passed.]

Maya: Light crowd today. It's not a holiday is it?

Lynn: Seriously? I can barely breathe.

[Cut to a shadowy outline behind the girls. We can see him grinning evilly despite the darkness concealing his face]

Maya: Yeah, it's usually more people than this. I figured you'd be used to this, since you're from the city too.

Lynn: Yeah, but in the US we drive everywhere. If you don't have a car you're considered unemployable.

[The shadowy figure looms near now. We see him take out a small camera. Cut back to Lynn and Maya]

Maya: I'm so jealous of Americans sometimes. Every time I mention owning a car around my parents my dad flips.

[We see Maya suddenly stiffen, then hear the sound of a camera.]

Lynn: What's the matter?

Lynn: Someone just grabbed the back of my skirt. There's a train pervert!

[The train stops at the station and starts to rapidly unload. The girls are swept along by the mob. We see the shadowy pervert making his getaway. Lynn and Maya try to pursue but they can't get through the swarm of people]

Lynn: There's too many people!

Maya: Stop that guy! He's getting away with my dignity!

[Roll opener]

[Cut to Lynn and Maya sitting in the classroom. Maya looks like she's ready to explode, Lynn merely looks concerned for her friend]

Lynn: Isn't there something you can do?

Maya: No. These things happen from time to time. If this got on the news my mother would die of shame, probably try to take me with her. It's not like the police can catch someone with no description anyway.

Lynn: Well you ought to do something. They can at least be on the lookout, maybe if they know that there's a pervert operating around the train station...

Maya: And do what? It's not like there's a trail of evidence to follow, or the police could patrol the cars. You saw how it was in there. You couldn't have caught him if you were a cop yourself.

Lynn: Well we have to do something.

Maya: Like what? I can't think of anything that isn't going to either mortify my mother or get a bunch of nasty jokes written about me on Facebook.

Lynn: (stands up) Alright, stop right there. Now when I came to this country I didn't know hardly anything about the Japanese way of doing things. How to organize, or how things worked in the city, things like that. You took me under your wing and helped me out. In my book that makes us friends, and if there's anything that Americans do right it's look out for their friends when they are in trouble. We're going to get this guy!

Maya: (suddenly wide-eyed) Alright, but how?

Lynn: I don't know yet. I'll have to do some research.

[The class rep stands on her desk and bangs on a garbage can with a ball bat]

Class Rep: Alright, shut up you filthy swine! Teacher in the classroom!

[Everyone rises as the teacher enters. Cut to closeup of the clock. We see the arms fade from one position to the next, indicating that the day is over. Cut to the girls heading out back of the school where the Wheel of Calamity is. In the distance we see the groundskeepers trying to repair the damage to the soccer field. The rocket launch truck is still parked in the field. Sakai's S3s and the Foreign Exchange Club have both gathered. The principal is in place as well]

Principal: Good afternoon everyone. Well, last week was a bit of surprise wasn't it? Seifun's own Foreign Exchange Club managed to defend the honor of their school and finally put a win in the column. Can they keep the win streak going? Let's find out, shall we?

[Ms. Asuhara gives the wheel a mighty spin. We see it click past “Untie the Gordian Knot”, “Build a Computer” and “Set a World Record” only to finally stop on “Soapbox Racer!” The principal smiles and turns back to speak]

Principal: Ah, this will be a challenge of planning, knowledge and skill. Each team will build a homemade race car. 

[Cut to a shot of a road winding down a very steep hill. The corners look extremely sharp and treacherous. Think Lombard Street in San Francisco)

Principal Voiceover: Both teams will race down Poison Ghost Hill. They must navigate the treacherous twists and turns very carefully in order to avoid a costly wipeout. The first car to reach the bottom intact will be declared the winner.

[Cut back to the back of the school. The principal is holding a couple of three ring binders, which he hands to Sakai #1 and Gin]

Principal: Here are the rules for constructing your vehicles. Please read them over carefully. (looks directly at Gin) I would hate to have to disqualify anyone before the race even began.

Gin: What are you looking at me for? The Sakai S3 team are the real cheaters!

Sakai: Sour grapes loser? One more loss and you're through. Hopefully you can find someone who knows how to drive.

Yayoi: Oh yeah? Maybe you better worry about your own team. I hear your co-captain is still picking garbage out of her teeth after last week!

Sakai #2: (angrily) You leave my teeth out of this you pig!

Yayoi: We know who you are, and we know how to find you!

[Foreign Exchange girls and Sakai club members move to separate Yayoi and Sakai #2]

Yayoi: See you on the road bronze!

Sakai #2: I hope you like the look of tail lights and dust, because that's all you'll see of me!

[Cut to the Foreign Exchange club HQ. All the girls are present and look worried. Maya and Lynn aren't here]

Yayoi: We are so dead. None of us know how to drive, or how to build a car.

Kiku: Where are Lynn and Maya anyway?

Ming: (peering over her magazine) They said they had a homework assignment.

Gin: (looking over the rules with a magnifying glass and highlighter) That's no excuse. Nobody else misses meetings for homework. It's unacceptable!

Junko: Oh knock it off Gin. If they need to do something then they need to do something. We can put together a plan without them. (pause) So does anyone have a plan?

Kiku: I have a plan!

[Everyone looks at Kiku rather dumbfounded]

Nanae: Seriously? What is it?

Kiku: We let Oki do everything!

[Everyone turns and looks at Oki. Oki looks nervous]

Oki: Don't stare like that!

Gin: She /is/ the most technically sound member of our team.

Kiku: Oki is the smartest! She'll come up with a great idea!

Oki: I don't know guys...

Junko: Oh Oki can you do it? We'll all help you of course!

Oki: Well...

Ming: If you don't then we're going to let Kiku and Shizu design everything and put your name on it.

Oki: (twitches) Alright, I'll do it.

[The girls cheer. Cut to a high school we haven't seen before. It's obviously a boy's high school. We see some boys hiding around the side of the building. Cut to a closer shot of the boys. One of them is selling photos to a couple of younger boys.]

Photo dealer: This is my latest acquisition. Note the quality of the lighting, the soft focus which enhances the femininity of the shot.

Boy #1: Oh wow, this is really great. How much?

Photo Dealer: 500 yen.

Lynn's voice: How about nothing?

[Two shadows loom ominously over the boys. The two younger boys make a break for it. The dealer turns to run but he doesn't get far before a garbage can hits him in the head. Maya and Lynn pounce on him. Lynn pins him up against the wall while Maya looks through his pictures]

Lynn: Is he the one?

Maya: (flipping through photos) No...no...no...wait....yes! This one is of me. (face curls in disgust) Sick! 

Lynn: How could you do something like this?

Photo Dealer: It wasn't me! I have a guy I get pictures from. I give him a small cut and then sell the pictures for a profit. Honest!

[Maya takes out a lighter and sets the picture on fire]

Photo Dealer: No! What are you doing?

Lynn: (slams guy against the wall pretty hard) Talk! Who did you buy these from?

Photo Dealer: I can't say!

Lynn: Oh no?

[Cut to the photo dealer tied to a tree. Lynn is stapling the pictures all around the photo dealer onto the tree.]

Photo Dealer: What are you doing?

Lynn: You didn't want to talk, so now we have to get serious. If this was the US we'd just take you to the park at night, tie you to a bench with a $20 bill sticking out of your pants. I doubt anybody would ever see you again. Since this is Japan our methods have to be a bit more creative.

[Maya takes out a knife. Photo guy swallows hard for a moment, then we see Maya whittle some tree branches down to switches]

Photo Dealer: Hey, what /are/ you doing? I don't get it.

[Lynn holds up a photo. It shows a girl from behind and it's a bit of a panty shot. The focus shifts to across the street. We see a girl's school where the girls are wearing uniforms that match the one in the picture. The photo dealer pales]

Photo Dealer: My contact is named Kenshiro. I meet him every other day at the Odaiba train station. He always wears a ratty blue hoodie. You have to let me go!

Maya: Lynn, did we say we were going to let him go?

Lynn: I don't remember saying anything like that. Let me ask this bullhorn. (through the bullhorn) Pervert! Come exact your vengeance on a pervert! Free of charge and one day only!

[The girls at the school start to wander over curiously. Lynn and Maya hotfoot it down the road. We hear the girls begin to say things like “hey, those are dirty pictures!” “Is that me?!” “where did you get those?”. The photo dealer says only “no!” “no!” “noooooo!” Lynn and Maya slow to a walk down the street.]

Maya: Well we know where to find him. Now what?

Lynn: Now we go to stage two. 

[Cut to a crude tarp carport set up behind Seifun High. The girls are all wearing greasy overalls. Oki is dressed like an engineer with a clean white jumpsuit, glasses and a stack of elaborate blueprints. The girls have halfway built their car. It's up on jacks, the frame is done and we can see the body panels in the background]

Oki: This is a disaster! You haven't followed my designs at all!

Gin: Now that's not true. Those are the wheels you wanted, and look here! Body panels, just like you wanted!

Oki: (panicky) It's not how I engineered it! The front/rear weight balance is all wrong! The stance isn't wide enough! The welds on the frame look like you let Kiku make them!

Yayoi: Hey! I did those welds!

Oki: How are we going to win with such a poorly-built car?

[Kumiko and Junko push in an engine stand. There's a motor covered by a tarp]

Oki: Is that an engine?!

Gin: Yeah, we looked through the rules again last night. Found out that it doesn't specifically forbid you from powering your downhill racer with a motor.

Oki: No! No, no no! I'll have to re-engineer everything! (looks away) I need to book more time on the computer. And the wind tunnel!

Kumiko: Oki, do you think maybe you're getting a little carried away with this?

Oki: Carried away? We can't just slap something together. It's got to be done right!

[Kiku walks up]

Kiku: Would this be a bad time to mention that we broke the torque wrench?

[Oki screams and throws the blueprints into the air, one landing halfway over her own face. Kiku lifts the print to peek underneath, Oki lets out a frustrated scream and Kiku puts it back. Cut to Lynn's apartment. Cut to Lynn's bedroom, where she and Maya are sitting around looking at train schedules]

Maya: Lynn, do you think we're getting too caught up in this? I mean, it's just a picture of my butt.

Lynn: You're kidding right? We've been threatening people left and right, broke and entered that one kid's house....we are WAY past the point of worrying about right and wrong!

Maya: So what comes next?

Lynn: We go and find this Kenshiro character.

Maya: Right. Then we confront him about what he's been doing and convince him of the error of his ways.

[Brief pause, then both start laughing]

Lynn: aha ha that was pretty good. 

[Cut to the the race course. Kiku is holding one end of a banner, the other is laying on the ground. She looks offscreen to the right, where someone else /should/ be standing. Kiku is dressed like a typical race queen]

Ming Voiceover: No! I'm not doing it.

Yayoi Voiceover: Get out there!

Ming Voiceover: You go out there!

Yayoi Voiceover: No way. It's too embarrasing!

[Ming is suddenly shoved into the shot, wearing the same race queen outfit as Kiku. She looks offscreen and scowls, then reluctantly picks up her side of the banner. We can now read that it says “The Big Race!”]

Ming and Kiku: The Big Race!

Ming: ….gonna get you guys.

[Cut to the top of the hill, where both the Sakai S3s and the Foreign Exchange Club are gathered. Sakai rolls their car out, which is a beautiful looking racer, sleek and aerodynamic. One of the Sakai girls climbs into the driver's seat. The Sakai girls start getting up in the faces of the Foreign Exchange girls]

Sakai #1: Where's your car Foreign Exchange Club? Did you even manage to finish?

Junko: Don't you worry about our car. You better worry about making it to the bottom of the hill in once piece.

Sakai #2: Don't worry about that! Our car is as good as they come. Miki, fire it up!

[The Sakai girls start their car, which rumbles and growls menacingly. One of the Sakai girls opens the engine compartment to show off the motor]

Sakai #1: How do you like that? Top of the line Toyota race engine, built just last year. Top that!

Gin Voiceover: No problem!

[Everyone turns to look. The Foreign Exchange Club car is wheeled up and looks...less beautiful. The engine compartment is weird and bulbous, the wheels don't look right and the driver is practically positioned over the front axle. It looks like teenage girls with no experience built it overnight. The Sakai girls laugh their asses off, the Foreign Exchange girls just scowl. Gin is standing next to the car and smiling like a Cheshire Cat. Oki walks up in a fireproof race suit complete with helmet.

Gin: Oki, why don't you turn the engine over and show them what we have to offer?

Oki: Roger!

[Oki climbs into the cockpit. We see the ridiculous number of gauges and controls. Oki is squeezed in pretty tight. She opens a cover labelled 'DANGER' and flips the switch. We hear the familiar howl of a radial engine starting up, then it roars to life. Fire shoots from the exhausts every time Oki gives it some gas. Gin opens the side panel to show off the gigantic engine.]

Gin: How do you like this? Built by Nakajima back in the 40s. Top of the line when Japan ruled the skies!

[The Foreign Exchange Club girls throw their fists in the air at the Sakai girls and shout 'Banzai!'. We see everyone getting into position to start the race. Gin walks over and stands next to Kumiko. The starter gets a flag ready. Everyone is cheering on their respective driver. The flag is raised]

Kumiko: You've had some crazy plans before, but this one takes the cake.

Gin: Your misgivings are duly noted and will be openly mocked right after we win.

Kumiko: What if you're wrong?

Gin: Then nobody will bring it up again. I'm wrong all the time!

[The flag drops and Sakai's car takes off like a rocket. It expertly whips through the first turn, drifting through the hairpin like a pro. Sakai's car accelerates towards the first bend. The Foreign Exchange car however just sits at the start line. The club members start to scream at Oki to go. Cut to a closeup of Oki. Her eyes are hard, her hands tighten on the steering wheel again and again. Kumiko's eyes narrow a bit. Cut to Sakai's car entering the second turn, another perfectly-handled manuever. Cut to the Sakai girls]

Sakai #2: We're kicking their asses!

Sakai #1: Wait...something is wrong. They're planning something. Of course!

[Cut to Gin, who jumps forward and gives Oki a hand signal]

Gin: Now!

[Oki nods and hammers the gas. The Foreign Exchange Car jerks forward, laying a fat patch of burnt rubber as it takes off. Rather than heading for the first turn it goes right off the track, plowing straight down the hill. It smashes through straw barriers, shrubs, piles of tires and anything else in it's path. Cut to the start line. The Sakai girls and Foreign Exchange girls are arguing]

Sakai #1: Illegal! She left the track!

Gin: The rules say where you have to start and where you have to finish! There's nothing in the rules about staying on the track!

[Cut to a crane shot of the Sakai car going through the twists and turns of the track with expert skill. We see the Foreign Exchange car shoot past, cutting through the track like a hot knife through butter. It beats the Sakai car by about ten seconds. Cut to the interior of the car where Oki is fighting the controls. The Foreign Exchange car skids and slams into a barrier. The Foreign Exchange girls jump around and cheer. We see the Sakai girls in a screaming argument with the race officials. Cut to Odaiba train station. Lynn and Maya are walking through the station looking around very carefully. They stop, looking frustrated.]

Lynn: Where is this guy?

Maya: I don't know. Maybe his buddy called him and warned him.

[There is a camera flash from directly beneath the girls. They look down and see a heavy metal grate on the ground. Under it we see the guy in the ratty blue coat, the shadowy figure from the beginning of the story. He smiles at them.]

Kenshiro: Ha ha! Got you again. And an American girl! Such a rare prize will command a high price!

Lynn: You creepy bastard! I'm going to wring your neck!

Kenshiro: And how do you plan to do that? You're up there and I'm safely down here. By the time you find a way to where I am I'll be long gone. Oh you girls made a valiant effort I'll admit, but you're no match for a true upskirt pervert!

Maya: What, are you an idiot?

[Maya kneels down and removes the grate really easily. Kenshiro swallows heavily.]

Kenshiro: Well....(holds hands up defensively) Now girls, let's not get overexcited over some innocent fun. It's certainly no reason to make a scene.

Lynn: Actually I'd say it's the perfect reason to make a scene, wouldn't you agree Maya?

Maya: Oh I think I'd have to agree with you there.

[Lynn and Maya reach into their bags. Each takes an Oakland Raiders hat out and puts it on. We see Kenshiro go wide eyed. Cut to a shot level with the floor. “Straight Outta Compton” by NWA plays as the girls dive into the hole. We hear the sounds of a terrible fight. After a moment Kenshiro starts to scramble out of the hole, only for the girls to pull him back down. We see more fighting. After a bit more Maya climbs out of the hole, then immediately jumps back in, doing the Randy Savage elbow. The shot fades out as the fight goes on.]

[Roll closer]

[Shot of Kenshiro looking like he's been through a meat grinder. He's walking down a street and sees a girl standing on a street corner with her back to the camera.]

Kenshiro: Alright Ken, it's okay. It's just a setback. You've got to get back on that horse. Everyone gets caught once in a while. (takes deep cleansing breath) Alright, let's do this! (fistpump)

[Cut to closeup of Nanae. Her eyes suddenly widen and we see a camera flash from behind her]


End file.
